about
Candace Kumar is a Filipino/Indo-Fijian cultural and contemporary dance artist, educator and choreographer based in Toronto, Canada.
Candace was born in Mississauga, Ontario and started dancing at seven years old. She trained in tap, jazz, street styles, ballet and then later focused on Filipino cultural dance and contemporary dance which is the core of her work today. Passionate about learning diverse cultures through movement, Candace also trains in Latin, Belly, Bollywood and Chinese dance styles.
An established dance artist, Candace has worked with Nova Dance, Frog in Hand, Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Anandam Dance Theatre, Creativiva Entertainment, Nautanki Creations, HATAW, Ruby Ibarra, Han Han and more. Her notable performances include the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, Nuit Blanche, SummerWorks Festival, and international festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico, Alaska, and the Czech Republic.
Candace is currently the Production Lead for Folklorico Filipino Canada, a non-profit Filipino folk dance organization where she has been training for over 18 years. Candace has also expanded her training to organizations abroad, such as Parangal Dance Company in San Francisco and the Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts in Manila. In February 2024, Candace embarked on a 6-week cultural immersion trip to the Philippines, where she travelled across the country researching Philippine Indigenous music and dance.
photo by Jeremy Mimnagh
artist statement
Candace's mission is to cultivate compassion and understanding of diverse cultures through dance. Dance tells the story of our relationship to land, spirit, and one another. By sharing dance across cultures, we can create a deeper appreciation for our shared humanity.
Candace is a graduate of the University of Toronto Scarborough where she studied International Development and Human Geography. Candace combines her academic and artistic background to dedicated her life to cross cultural community building. As an active member in the Filipino arts community, she is committed to promoting Filipino arts across Canada and worldwide.
Candace views dance as a community-based practice guided by KAPWA. Kapwa is the pre-colonial Philippine concept in which all people are joined in identity and purpose that fosters our reciprocity with one another. Kapwa highlights our interconnectedness with nature, spirit, people, and universe.
photo by Gregg Jann Autillo @gjthehuman